Crew Members Flex Robotic Arms to Install Stowage Platform

(NASA) – With the use of Canadian-built robotic arms, STS-118 astronauts installed a new stowage platform on the exterior of the International Space Station.

External stowage platform-3 (ESP-3) is the third of its kind to be installed on the station. The first two, however, were attached during spacewalks on previous missions. The stowage platforms are used to hold spacewalk tools and spare equipment.

Mission Specialists Tracy Caldwell and Barbara Morgan used Space Shuttle Endeavour’s robot arm to lift ESP-3 out of the payload bay and to hand it off to the station arm. STS-118 Pilot Charles Hobaugh and Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson used the station arm to attach the platform to the station’s Port 3 truss segment.

Inside the shuttle/station complex, cargo transfers between the two spacecraft continue. Also on tap for today are preparations for STS-118’s third spacewalk scheduled for Wednesday.

The crew began the day at 6:07 a.m. with a wakeup call wishing Caldwell happy birthday.

Mission Management Team Update

Mission managers have determined that damage to a small section of Endeavour’s heat shield poses no threat to crew safety or mission operations. However, they are discussing options for possible repair work that would ensure preparations on the ground for Endeavour’s next flight will go more smoothly. The damage occurred during the climb to orbit on Aug. 8.